Gaming devices, such as slot machines, video poker machines, and the like provide fun and excitement to the player. Gaming, in general, provides an escape from the everyday rigors of life. Gaming devices use bright lights and exciting sounds to have the gaming machines stand out from other gaming machines. Gaming devices, in particular, use one or more displays that enable the player to see and play the game. The one or more displays typically portray the action of the game, and ultimately indicate whether or not the player wins, and how much the player wins.
The quest for gaming instrumentalities which will provide greater game interest and entertainment among players who wager, is an ongoing odyssey. Greater game interest translates into greater revenues for the owners of the games. More interest translates into more money wagered on a machine over time. A popular game will stay on a gaming floor for a longer amount of time since the game owner, such as a casino, will get more revenue from a popular game. Even popular games can have a drop off in popularity over time. New games, or improved games generally enjoy a time of increased popularity. Therefore, the industry always seems to seek different ways of making even popular games have some level of newness. This piques player's interest in the game so that it will draw high number of players while it has the new feature. Increased numbers translate into increased revenue to the owner of the particular game. Different features or different displays, or different aspects of game play are introduced to games fresh and new and keep the players interested in coming to play a particular game.
One way to keep players interested in a game is to add a bonus game to the main or base game. Bonus games attract and keep players at a gaming machine. As a result, bonus games in gaming machines have become much more prevalent and elaborate in recent years. The bonus game is typically a gaming machine, or a random selection device having a gaming play that is enabled by a bonus qualifying signal from an underlying or primary gaming machine. Bonus games include an additional game feature contained within a single gaming machine. For example, in slot machines, video monitors have also been used to provide bonus or secondary games. Players play, for example, a base game of slot until becoming eligible for a bonus game. The base game temporarily pauses, while the player plays the bonus game. When the player completes the bonus game, the gaming device returns the player to the base game.
Bonus games have become a popular element of slot machines and one of the most significant factors influencing player game selection. Bonus game methods and content on a slot machine type gaming device typically fall into three categories: free spin bonuses, pick bonuses, and signature event style bonuses (wheel spin, dice roll, etc). While popular, these bonusing methods have a number of limitations. The limitations include the following which are shared by these methods and which are listed below:
Bonus game anticipation is limited to a subset of base game conditions
Positive reinforcement for betting up in the base game is limited
Accordingly, providing a gaming device with a bonus game that provides some new aspect of the gaming device that further entertains and provides a fun and exciting experience to the user, is desirable.